ROME, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Italy's highest court is set to rule on Thursday whether to confirm American Amanda Knox's conviction for slander in connection with the 2007 murder of her British flatmate, marking the culmination of a nearly two-decade legal saga.
An appeals court in Florence handed Knox a three-year sentence for falsely accusing Congolese bar owner Patrick Lumumba of killing Meredith Kercher in Perugia.
According to legal sources, the court in Rome is expected to announce its decision on Thursday evening.
Knox, who served four years in prison for Kercher's murder before her conviction was overturned in 2015, is seeking acquittal in the final legal proceeding related to the case.
Her attorneys, affirming that she will not be present at the hearing in Rome, stated that Knox remains in the United States with her family.
In a series of online posts, Knox expressed the ongoing challenges of her legal battles by stating, "It doesn't get easier, no matter how many times I've been through this," and firmly asserted, "I am not a liar. I am not a slanderer."
Lumumba, detained for two weeks in 2007 before being released, voiced his belief in Italian justice outside the court, expressing hope that Knox's conviction would be upheld. He remarked, "I believe Amanda did wrong and slandered me... she never apologized to me."
Given that the sentenced term was deemed served during Knox's imprisonment, it holds no practical consequences.
The fatal stabbing of 21-year-old Kercher, leading to a series of trials, captivated tabloids on both sides of the Atlantic and inspired various books and films.
Rudy Guede, hailing from the Ivory Coast, received a 16-year prison sentence for Kercher's murder, with the ruling suggesting his involvement with unidentified collaborators. He was granted early release in 2021.